


A Tale of Two Boys

by orphan_account



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Band Universe, Just read it., M/M, Mentions of Taylor Swift, Shapeshifting, Supernatural Elements, There is a mention of Tyler's dick., it started as a crack fic but it turned into something with meaning and Idk, time isn't real anyways, timeline is a bit askew but, why is that a tag, you may be asking yourself... sydney? Chris Evans? Why
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-02
Updated: 2018-08-02
Packaged: 2019-06-20 13:49:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15535617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Josh wakes up one morning to find himself feeling a bit strange. He knew he shouldn't have gone out last night.





	A Tale of Two Boys

**Author's Note:**

  * For [marsakat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/marsakat/gifts).



> I've had this in my WIP folder for years but I reread Mar's teleporting fic and thought, hey, that's funny. I'm gonna finish this. So here you go. Josh is a shapeshifter.
> 
> This is so dumb and I'm so sorry but enjoy nonetheless.

Josh wakes up in throbbing pain. It’s nothing but a dull ache, but it’s just enough to cause him to squeeze his eyes shut in discomfort. He moves a hand to push himself up, and lands palm down in a pile of glass.

“Crap!” he shouts, yanking his hand to his chest where tiny pieces of glass pierce his skin. He’s bleeding pretty badly.

He can’t remember a single thing that happened the night before, and now he’s sitting in some random apartment that’s been completely trashed. Oh, and he’s naked.

Josh cradles his injured hand to his chest as he attempts to stand up. There’s glass everywhere and every piece of furniture is ripped and destroyed, pieces strung throughout the room. He squints at part of a chair before letting out a large sigh. “Crap.”

He doesn’t know how he got here or where he is or how he’s going to get back to the hotel. Tyler is going to be so freaking worried. Really though, Josh is just as worried. What did he do last night? Crack? Meth? Is that why this apartment is trashed? Whose apartment is this?

Still pressing his hand to his chest, Josh forces himself to stand up, curling his toes so he doesn’t step in any more glass. He really hopes he didn’t do anything crazy.

Why can’t he remember what happened?

“Crap,” Josh says for the third time. He spots a shoe overturned beneath a rusty sink and makes a lunge for it, sliding it onto his foot. He continues to mumble under his breath as he hops around the room, looking for other parts of his clothes.

That’s when Josh catches his reflection in a cracked mirror hanging from a door streaked with dirt. He’s got a black eye and a fresh cut running down his cheek. He sighs loudly. “Here I am naked, in a run-down apartment, in an unfamiliar city.” It’s even more ridiculous now that he’s saying it out loud. He’s certain this stuff doesn’t happen to other people. Like Chris Evans. This wouldn’t happen to Chris Evans.

Josh huffs again. Yeah, this wouldn’t happen to Captain America. Because Captain America wouldn’t be as stupid as Josh was. He goes to turn away in another long string of grumbling when something unearthly happens. Right in front of his eyes, Josh’s skin shifts and twists, his bones crack and stretch, as his skin becomes a different shade of pale, his bright yellow hair fades into a subtle blonde, his clean shave turns into a full beard, his eyes blossom into blue and suddenly he’s no longer staring at his reflection.

He’s frickin’ Chris Evans. He is _frickin’ Chris Evans._

Josh screams and stumbles backward, steadying himself just in time to avoid landing on his butt. He can’t believe this. How is this possible? How the _hell_ did he turn into Chris Evans?

“Crap, crap, crap,” he whispers under his breath as he glances around the apartment one last time. Josh pulls on the clothes he managed to find, a hoodie and sweatpants, before grabbing his phone and wallet off the counter (honestly, he has no clue how they’re still there,) and leaving, his entire body shaking. He doesn’t know what to do. What do you do in a situation where you turn into one of the Avengers just by thinking about him? This wasn’t something he learned in school.

Josh needs to get back to Tyler. If he can get back to the hotel, he can get help.

And so he walks quickly with his head down, praying nobody recognizes him because he doesn’t think Chris Evans would be walking around Denver on any random day.

A girl bumps into him. She has headphones on and mutters “sorry” as he stumbles away, trying to duck his head down even farther. Josh continues walking when the same girl calls out, “Anyone ever tell you yah look like Chris Evans?”

“Yeah, you know, I get that a lot,” replies Josh as he speeds up his walk to a hustle, the mere sound of his voice enough to keep him tense. It is then that Josh realizes he doesn’t even know where he is. He doesn’t even know where the hotel is.

“Crap.”

Wait. He’ll call Mark. Mark is very good at helping Josh get out of problems he doesn’t want Tyler to know about.

The phone rings three times before Mark picks up. “Josh, what the hell, man? Where are you? Tyler is freaking out.”

“I am too, don’t worry.” Josh takes a deep breath. Mark doesn’t say anything about the fact that Josh’s voice sounds different. “I woke up in a strange apartment downtown and something strange is happening to me, man. And I have no idea where I am.”

“Uh, okay. Where are you right now? Can you give me a general location?”

Cradling his phone to his chest, Josh takes a moment to look around. There’s a couple boarded up businesses and that’s about it. He walks a bit quicker towards a street sign. “Corner of Fifth and Rodger Avenue.”

“Shit dude, you’re really far away. That’s about six miles away. Uhm, like, walk a bit farther, I think there’s a coffee shop or something up there. I’ll come pick you up.”

“Listen,” Josh starts, because he really has no idea how he’s going to tell Mark this, “like I said, something strange is happening to me. So when you come to pick me up, just keep that in mind, okay?”

“Something weird, like what? Like you’re balding, or something? Because we all know you are.”

He can practically hear Mark’s smirk through the phone. “Fuck you, Mark.”

Mark laughs. “Okay, okay. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” the phone clicks off, and Josh practically runs up the street until he spots that coffee shop Mark was talking about. Josh strangely feels like he’s been here before as he walks head down towards the bathrooms. He’s thankful they’re one stall as he locks the door and looks at himself in the mirror.

It’s so frickin’ weird seeing Chris Evans staring back at him. How is he supposed to go back to normal? What is he supposed to do? How did this _happen?_

Josh closes his eyes and tries to remember. He knows he went out, and Tyler went back to the hotel. They had an argument of some sort, and Josh left. Did he do drugs? Did he get drunk? What the hell happened?

He feels his skin shifting again, and cracks an eye open. It’s painful. Really painful, and he bites his tongue to avoid yelling out.

Blonde changes into curly dark brown, his skin pales, and his almond-shaped eyes turn brown. Josh stares at Josh.

Except, like, Josh six years ago.

He sighs again. Shit. How is he supposed to explain _this?_

“At least I’m myself,” he murmurs as he pushes out of the bathroom and heads towards the counter to order. There’s a teenage boy working, his face covered in acne.

“How can I help—” he pauses, his eyes lighting up. “Woah dude, I didn’t even recognize you. When did you do that?”

“I’m sorry?”

“Josh Dun, right? Sorry, didn’t mean to be weird. Just, I like your band, a lot.”

“Oh. You mean, this.” Josh runs a hand through his long, curly hair. _Seriously weird._ “Right. Well. It’s not permanent.”

The boy scoffs. “Did you get hair implants? Thought it was shaved on the sides.”

He grunts. “Can I get a triple americano or what?”

“Oh, uhm, yeah.” his eyes fall away from Josh’s hair and his fingers clack on the cash register. “A dollar fifty.”

Josh is in the middle of fishing money out of his wallet when the door chimes and Mark strolls in. The boy hands him his change, and Josh practically drops to Mark’s feet. He’s so happy to see a familiar face.

“Thank _God,”_ Josh pulls Mark into a hug, who gently nudges him off, his face twisted in confusion.

“Josh, what the hell?” He pauses. “Why do you look like you walked straight out of 2011?”

“That’s what I mean by something strange is happening to me,” Josh begins, his face sobering, “because five minutes earlier, I was Chris Evans.”

Mark blinks. “Excuse me?”

“I know. Trust me, I know. I think I’m dreaming, maybe.” He leads Mark to the back of the coffeehouse, where there are two leather chairs underneath a muted television.

“You aren’t dreaming, because I’m here. And I’m aware of my surroundings. Are you?”

“Am I what?”

“Aware of your surroundings.”

Josh feels his face. God, his skin is gross. He did not miss acne one bit. “Yeah, I am aware of my surroundings, asshole. Do you need me to explain the fucking story to you again?” After shooting Mark a glare, Josh gulps down his Americano and stands up, pointing back at the restroom he had just come out of. “I’ll show you. Or, at least, I’ll try to show you.”

“Josh, I think—“

“Don’t say another word until I do this, okay?” Josh points at him as he backs away, throwing his coffee cup into the garbage before stepping back into the restroom. He looks at himself in the mirror again before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. He needs to be someone he’s not, for the sake of getting Mark to believe him. Josh isn’t even sure how this whole “shapeshifting” thing works anyways. When Chris Evans decided to make an appearance, it was because Josh thought about him. Was it really that simple, that all he had to do was think about it?

He thinks about Tyler and wonders if Mark mentioned that he was going to pick Josh up. Did Tyler ask questions? Volunteer to go for Mark? Or did he shy away because of their argument?

Josh doesn’t even remember what they fought about. Tyler had been really irritable lately; the smallest things put him in a bad mood and Josh couldn't figure out why.

“Josh? Come on, dude. We really should go.”

“I’m not leaving until this works!” Josh calls back, gripping the sink until his knuckles turn white. Fucking Tyler. Why did he have to start petty arguments? Josh seemed to be the one who was always apologizing, even though it wasn’t his fault.

His shoulder dislocates, causing him to shout in pain. Mark pounds harder on the door as Josh steps back and grabs his arm. His knuckles pop as his fingers grow longer and slender, and his kneecaps shift a few inches higher. Josh bites his tongue as his jaw cracks, his bones grow, and then, it’s Tyler staring at him in the mirror.

“Fuck my life,” Josh mutters, dragging a hand down his face. He couldn’t even shift into a clean-shaven Tyler, but one that looked like he had been living on the streets the past few weeks.

Josh puts his hood up as he unlocks the bathroom door, and Mark heaves a sigh of relief.

“I thought you were dying in there, Josh. Holy--” Mark seems to realize that it’s no longer Josh he’s looking at, but a perfect carbon copy of Tyler Joseph. “Holy _shit,_ what the _fuck?”_

“Shhhh!” Josh reaches out to push his hand against Mark’s face. “I told you, now let’s get out of here.”

“But, but, you—”

 _“Mark,”_ Josh hisses. People are looking at him and whispering. He’s more than sure they recognize him. Or rather, Tyler.

Mark manages to collect himself and takes a deep breath. “Okay, let’s go.”

Two girls shyly make their way over to him. “Hey, do you think we could take a picture with you? We love your band?”

“Wait in the car,” Josh demands, pushing Mark gently before taking the phone from the girls.

 

* * *

 

Mark stares at him when he slides into the passenger seat.

“What?” Josh yells. Mark shakes his head.

“You’re just as moody as the real Tyler.”

“Can you blame me? I don’t know what the hell is going on with me.”

Mark pauses. “You don’t have his nose, though. That’s a bit off.”

“Fuck you, Mark.”

“I heard you screaming in there, dude. Did it hurt?”

“Did it sound like it hurt?” Josh shoots back, folding his arms. He catches his reflection in the left side mirror and scowls, turning inwards so he doesn’t have to see Tyler’s face.

“So... you...” Mark’s Adam’s Apple bobs nervously, “Chris Evans? And then... 2011 Josh, and now you’re Tyler.”

“Do you want an award?” He says dryly.

“Fuck, dude.” His shoulders deflate. “You look just like him. Sound just like him too.”

“Can we just get back to the hotel? Please?”

“What are you going to tell Tyler?”

Josh shrugs. “We’ll figure it out when we get there, how about that?”

Mark nods. “Okay. Sure.” He starts the car and pulls away from the curb.

 

* * *

 

 

“What the fuck.” Tyler stares at the carbon copy of himself before glancing up at Mark. “This guy looks just like me.”

Mark is amused and Josh wants to punch him. “He took the selfies online.”

“I noticed those. Thought it was weird because I didn’t remember taking pictures with those girls. Or having a beard.” He looks back at Josh-as-Tyler and frowns. “His nose is off.”

“Fuck you,” Josh finally cries out, his anxiety rising with every passing second. Tyler’s eyebrows scrunch up.

“Sorry, man. I didn’t mean it in a bad way. Mark said you knew where Josh was.”

“Yeah, I do,” Josh grumbles, “I’m right here.”

Tyler blinks. “Huh?”

“It’s true,” Mark gestures towards Josh with his chin, “I watched him change into you. Well, not watched, but I saw him go in as himself and leave as you.”

“Go ahead. Ask me something only Josh would know.” He leans back and folds his arms. Tyler narrows his eyes.

“Okay. Where’d Josh go last night?”

 _Fuck._ “Okay, anything but that.”

“What’s my blood type?” He tries.

“Tyler, _you_ don’t even know your own blood type.” Tyler relaxes his shoulders.

“You’re right. I should probably find that out.” A pause. “When’s my birthday?”

“I mean, that’s on the internet, but I’ll answer it regardless. December first.”

He raises an eyebrow. “What did Josh get me for my birthday last year?”

“Concert tickets.”

“For?”

Josh smirks. “Taylor Swift.” That was definitely something Tyler didn’t tell anyone but Josh. She was Tyler’s guilty pleasure.

“Alright.” Tyler leans back. “I believe you. You’re Josh.”

“It’d be a bit weird if you just happened across a dude who looked exactly like you.”

He shrugs. “I don’t doubt there are people in the world who look like me. Or you, for that matter.” It seems to kick in that Josh doesn’t look like Josh. “Holy _shit,_ dude. What happened?”

“I’m still trying to figure that out myself,” Josh admits. “I woke up this morning naked in an abandoned apartment. I looked pretty beaten up, and then, I just, I started thinking about Captain America,” a blush rises to his cheeks, “next thing I know, I’m a spitting image of Chris Evans.”

“You went from looking like Chris Evans to looking like me?”

“Nah,” Mark chimes in, “He was his younger self for a little while there.”

Josh glares at him. “Yeah. There's that.”

“And you don’t remember where you went last night?”

“I went out to a bar, I think. I wanted to get some exploring in before we had to leave. I just don’t remember what happened after that.”

“Hmm.” Tyler rubs the back of his neck and stares at Josh. “I need to work out a bit more.”

“Tyler,” Josh presses.

“Sorry. It’s just not every day you get to see yourself in person. I should probably get my eyebrows done too, huh? I’m starting to grow a unibrow.”

 _“Tyler,”_ Josh says again, this time through his teeth.

Tyler waves his hand. “Sorry, jeez. Well, we got a show tonight, so why don’t we just...” He pauses, thinking. “Can you take us back to the apartment you woke up in? Maybe we can look for clues.”

“Clues!” Mark claps his hands together. “I’m really good at murder mysteries, you guys. I can help.”

“No one is dead.”

“The real Josh might be if we can’t figure out how to fix things,” Mark says grimly, causing Tyler and Josh to look at him. “Sorry. That was a bit dark.”

“I remember where it is,” Josh changes the subject, standing up from the hotel bed. He shoves his hands into his hoodie and leads the way.

 

* * *

 

Tyler’s first words come ten seconds after they’ve entered the abandoned apartment.

“Fuck,” he mutters, running a hand through his hair. “Are you sure this is the place?”

“Yeah,” Josh confirms, walking over to pick up what appears to be the shirt he was wearing last night. “Found this, at least.”

“So are you... actually wearing clothes?”

Josh glares. ”You think I could magically make clothes appear?”

Tyler shrugs. “You did like... shift into a perfect copy of me.”

A pause. “Fair enough.”

“Do you think you could make yourself... er, look like yourself again?”

“Maybe, if I thought about. I would just need to concentrate...” Josh trails off as he steps over shards of glass and into what had once been the kitchen. He drums his fingers across the countertops and sighs. “I... I don’t know what to do.”

Tyler pulls a pair of boxers out from under a dirty sofa. They are torn to shreds. “Damn, Josh, what were you doing?”

“Better yet, what are you wearing now?” Mark asks.

“Seriously. Seriously? You’re more concerned with my undergarments than the fact that I look like Tyler, that I _am Tyler?”_

“Okay, just, calm down, Josh. It’s okay. Things are going to be okay.” Tyler makes his way over to Josh’s side and touches his arm gently. “Your head is going to explode if you get any more stressed.”

“Wow. You always know exactly what to say,” he mutters sarcastically. Tyler pats his arm again.

“Do you remember how you got here?”

“Nope.”

“Or why your clothes are strewn about?” Mark chimes in.

“Nope,” Josh repeats. “I’m telling you guys, I don’t remember anything.”

“There has to be something that will remind you,” Tyler murmurs as he steps away and begins to scan the abandoned apartment once more. Josh leans against the counter and sighs, wanting nothing more than to go back and time and tell his past self not to go out, to lock the door and stay close to Tyler. He can’t even remember what he had been arguing about with his bandmate.

This time, it’s his ankle that pops first, and Josh cowers into the corner, sinking low enough for him to wrap his arms around his knees. “Fuck,” he groans, closing his eyes, as joints pop, bones stretch, and his skin pales. He knows Tyler and Mark are watching, which makes this painful process so much worst.

He takes a few seconds to catch up with his body and let the pain subside before pushing off the ground. Of course, not before slicing his hand on a broken beer bottle, because Josh can’t seem to catch a break.

“Shit.”

“Josh—”

“I cut myself,” he states, clutching his hand to his chest as he moves back across the room. Tyler is staring at him.

“Josh,” he tries again.

“What?” Josh glares at him before returning to his hand. Right before his eyes, his wound heals and disappears, like it was never there to begin with.

“You’re you,” he says softly, gesturing to the mirror. Josh nods, swallows, and steps forward.

And sure enough, he’s him, except his hair is brown, and curly, and long. But besides that, it’s him. His wounds from this morning are gone.

“Well,” Josh mutters, “I wanted to do something different with my hair anyway.”

“How did you do that?” Tyler seems scared. Mark clears his throat and points to the door.

“I’m gonna wait in the car. I think you guys should, uh, speak.” He’s gone before either boy can say something.

Josh shakes his head and looks back in the mirror. One of his eyes flickers from brown to ivy green.

“How did you do that?”

Josh sighs, his jaw clenched, and looks at Tyler angrily. “If I knew the answer to that, Tyler, I doubt I would be freaking out as much as I am now.”

A pause. Tyler claps his hands together. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I don’t want to stress you out.”

“What were we arguing about last night?”

“I didn’t want you to go out,” Tyler muses. “I told you not to go out.”

Wow. _Wow._ The one fucking time Josh doesn’t listen to Tyler’s instructions, he gets turned into a freak. “I... I don’t know what to say.”

Tyler steps closer to him to reach for his hand. He traces his fingers over Josh’s calloused knuckles. “You butt dialed me last night, Josh. You were piss drunk.”

He did feel quite hungover this morning, now that Tyler mentioned it. “And?”

“And I think... I think you were having sex.”

“With who?”

“Good question. Maybe the person that did this to you?” Tyler gestures to Josh’s body, still holding his hand. “I didn’t connect the dots until this morning, but it makes sense.”

“That still doesn’t answer the question of how this happened to me. Sleeping with some girl doesn’t mean that I end up having my bones break multiple times a day.”

“Not a girl,” Tyler says, raising an eyebrow. He looks Josh right in the eyes. “At least, it didn’t sound like a girl. I dunno. Maybe they identified as one.”

Josh chews on the inside of his cheek. “I don’t remember anything last night, Ty. I must have been really drunk.”

“Do you sleep with guys?”

“I’m open to it.”

Tyler is still looking at him. “Would you sleep with me?”

The question catches Josh off guard, turning his face strawberry red. “I— Uhm, I don’t, uh...”

“I’ll let you think about it,” a smirk rising to his damn face as he steps away and does one last scan of the apartment. “Whoever you slept with, maybe they could shapeshift too, and it spread.”

“You think there is a disease out there that allows you to shapeshift and is spread through intercourse?”

A shrug. “It’s not the craziest thing in the world. There’s a lot we don’t know.”

“You are ridiculous.”

“Maybe you had sex with an alien, and this is a side effect.”

Josh blinks. “You are crazy.”

“Maybe you slept with a wizard or a witch or some other being that can cast spells.”

“Tyler Robert Joseph, you are insane.”

Tyler smiles again. “Werewolves, vampires, alien butt babies... I dunno, Josh. It’s all plausible. I don’t see why shapeshifting wouldn’t be either.”

“Oh my God.” Josh grows more frustrated with every passing second. “Tyler, this is _real life._ There are no vampires, no werewolves, no fairies, no frickin’ alien butt babies,” he sputters out that last part, cursing his best friend for making him say something like that, “and especially no shapeshifters.”

“Except here you are.”

Oh. Right. “Yeah. Here I am.”

“Hey, Josh.” Tyler goes back to holding Josh in between his hands. “Don’t be scared, okay? We’ll figure this out together, just like we do with everything.”

“I _am_ scared. It hurts so bad, and, and, I don’t know how to control it. What if it happens in the middle of a show?”

“We only have this one for a while.”

“A while? We go back on tour in October.”

“That gives us heaps of time to figure things out.”

Josh sighs. He pulls Tyler into a tight hug and inhales his musk. Tyler is his comfort. Tyler is his home. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Good thing you don’t have to do anything without me,” quips Tyler back. “Let’s head back to the hotel and see if we can piece a story together, okay?”

“Okay.”

 

* * *

 

Tyler turns on the television when they get back and order some food for Josh from the hotel bar. Josh watches blankly, hoping it’ll be enough for him not to shift into anyone— or anything— else. He doesn’t even know the extent of his... powers? Abilities? Skills? Could he turn into an animal if he so desired? Would his bones shift and crack, his hair grow thick, his face—

“Josh.” Tyler frowns in front of him.

“Sorry.” Josh run his fingers through his hair and looks at his bandmate in front of him. Tyler hands him a bottle of Coke and a styrofoam box.

“I got you a sandwich. Eat, ‘cause we gotta head over to the venue soon. We’re already late.”

“What if it happens tonight, Ty?” Josh’s brow furrows. “What if we’re playing, and I lose it?”

“That won’t happen.”

“My eyes are two different colors.”

Tyler chuckles. It isn’t rude, but it doesn’t make Josh feel better either. “I noticed that. You actually look pretty good with green eyes.”

“Thanks.”

“Hey. Look at me.” Josh complies, and Tyler smiles. “Can I be honest with you?”

“Always.”

“When you called me last night, and I heard you... roughing it, I got so jealous. My stomach twisted and I actually thought I might throw up. And I don’t know why I was so jealous about it, because I know you have sex, right? So do I. But then... it sounded like a dude, and I was even angrier. I wanted it to be me you were fucking.”

Josh blinks. “You... you want me to fuck you?”

“I want to fuck _with_ you. Like, y’know, us fucking. Together.”

“At least buy me a drink first, dude.” Josh manages to smile as he takes Tyler’s hand and scoots closer. “So you have lust. No biggie. I think you’re an attractive guy too.”

“It’s _more_ than that, bro. We’ve known each other for almost an entire decade, and I’ve had all this time to get to know you, to spend time with you, to fall in love with you.”

Josh’s stomach flips. “You’re in love with me?”

“Do you find that strange?”

“No. I love you too.” He’s still smiling as he leans forward until his lips are inches apart from Tyler’s face, close enough that he can feel the heat from Tyler’s breath. “I’ve been in love with you for a long time.”

Their noses brush. “Are you gonna kiss me?” Asks Tyler.

“Do you want me to?” Replies Josh.

“Yes.” So Josh does. His hands grip Tyler’s waist when he pushes forward, closing the gap between them. Tyler’s lips are soft and taste like peppermint. Josh figures it must be his chapstick because it’s rubbing off onto his own lips, but he doesn’t even care. He feels Tyler’s hands on his ass, squeezing, pulling Josh closer.

“Beard burn,” Tyler breathes, just loud enough for Josh to hear. Josh ignores it, deepening the kiss, but he starts thinking about what Tyler just said. The last time Josh had grown out a full beard had been far over a year ago, maybe even two years, and Tyler hadn’t said much about it after his initial remark on stage. Did Tyler like the beard better? Did Tyler like _him_ with a beard better?

Tyler pulls away while Josh is thinking, his eyes wide and a smile on his face. “Oh my God.”

“What?” Tyler points and Josh feels his face, where, in fact, a full beard now is. He scoffs, sliding off the bed to pad into the mirror. Yep. He has a beard. “Oh, fuck me.”

“Come back here,” Tyler calls from the bedroom. Josh pokes his head back out.

“I should shave before we go to the venue.”

“Come back here,” Tyler repeats, harsher this time. He pats the empty spot where Josh had been seconds before, and with a sigh, returns to his spot. Tyler smiles politely.

“I never got to kiss you with that beard, y’know. It’s something I really wanted to do.”

“I would have never taken you as a beard lover.”

“Yeah? We’re learning all kinds of new things about each other today.” He leans in for another kiss, and Josh closes his eyes, letting Tyler take lead. The kiss is enough to get him hard, and his hands shake as he fumbles them around Tyler’s back, slipping under the waistband of his gym shorts so he can dig his nails into Tyler’s ass this time, and mark his territory. He isn’t sure what’s gotten into him, but he’s feeling possessive, territorial even, all of a sudden.

Tyler jumps at Josh’s unexpected hands. “You’re cold.”

“You’re hot,” Josh growls into his mouth. He moves his hand around, more interested in seeing Tyler’s cock than kissing anymore. Tyler grabs his hand and pulls it out of his pants. “What?”

“Look at yourself.”

Josh rolls his eyes. “I just did, you said—“

“Look _down,_ dumbass,” Tyler smirks. “You aren’t wearing boxers, and you’re wearing sweats, so I can see your dick pretty damn well. Also, dude. If you can grow a beard in the span of seconds, we might be able to use this shapeshifter thing to our advantage.”

“What are you implying?”

“Let me blow you before we leave. Or,” he shrugs nonchalantly, “you can shave. Your choice.”

“Are you fucking kidding me right now?”

“Nope.” Tyler stands up. “Your choice, horndog.”

“Get back here.” Josh rolls his eyes again. He can’t believe he’s about to give into Tyler’s wants and desires. He’ll shave before the show though, that’s for sure.

Tyler’s eyes sparkle. “I’m glad you made the right choice, babe.”

Josh pretends the pet name doesn't make him melt.

 

* * *

 

Mark’s mouth drops when he sees Josh at the venue. “You grew a beard?”

Josh blushes. “It kind of just... happened, to be honest.”

“We kissed,” Tyler is blunt, “I wanted him to have a beard, and he grew it. Simple as that.”

“Fair enough,” Mark shrugs. “How are you doing, Josh?”

“Better now.”

“Because Tyler kissed you?”

“I kissed him first,” Josh shoots back, “but yes. That did help.”

“Do you think you got the whole shapeshifting thing under control?”

“It’s been a day. Do you want me to lie and say yes?”

“Fair enough,” Mark says again, and Josh is beginning to believe it’s his new favorite line. “Just be careful. There’s gonna be a large crowd out there tonight, and I don’t think I’ll be able to save you this time.”

“Christ, Mark.” Tyler cuts in, shaking his head rapidly. He pulls Josh’s arm. “C’mon.”

“I’m gonna try my hardest,” Josh promises, his voice soft, “but I can’t... if something happens—”

“Just ignore Mark, okay? You’ll be fine.”

“What if I’m not?” He stops walking, slipping out of Tyler’s grasp. He can feel tears starting to brim. “What if something does happen? Jesus, last night my hair was yellow and today I...” Josh can’t even bring himself to say it. “I can snap my fingers, and everything changes. _Everything._ I’m so fucking scared, dude.” He takes a shaky breath. “I should have never gone out.”

Tyler stays quiet, instead opting to reach other and touch Josh’s nose. “Your nose is straight.”

“Okay? And?”

“It’s wrong. Your nose is wrong. It’s supposed to have a bump.”

“I broke it when I was a kid. That’s an added benefit of this stupid shifting shit.”

“I liked your nose.” He slides his hands down to Josh’s waist. “I like everything about you. You’re perfect.”

“I’m far from perfect.” Josh catches the eye of a security guard working for the arena and pushes Tyler towards their immediate direction. “Green room, just for a minute. Before we go out on stage.”

“Okay,” Tyler agrees, following him.

 

* * *

 

Josh stands in front of the mirror as Tyler closes the door.

“Are we screwing around some more?”

“Watch,” Josh demands. Tyler listens.

He thinks about his hair color changing, and to his delight, it changes from dark brown to lavender. His one green eye even goes back to brown, which of course, results in his other eye turning blue. Oh well. Win some, lose some.

“Woah,” Tyler says.

Josh thinks harder. He pushes his finger into his stomach, which has gotten a little chubby over the hiatus, and smiles through the twist of his muscles as it flattens out, giving him decent abs. His bones even stretch a little, giving him a few inches on Tyler, which is new for him. Tyler has always been taller.

“What are you doing?”

“Becoming better.”

“Excuse me?” Tyler is frowning. Josh faces him.

“I think I’m getting the hang of this. At least, the little things.” He lifts up his shirt. “Check it out. I can skip the gym. Oh, and I’m taller than you now.”

Tyler’s frown deepens. “Why would you want to change things about yourself?”

“Why would I not want to change things about myself?”

“Because.” Tyler goes to rest his hands on Josh’s shoulders, but he’s thrown off by the height difference. “I love you for who you are, not for who you think you should be. I love your crooked nose, your soft tummy, your height. Like, turning into celebrities is different, but you shouldn’t change yourself.”

With a sigh, Josh allows his body to return to its original state and leans his forehead on Tyler’s shoulder. Tyler pats his head.

“At least you have some control over your... whatever. That’ll make the show easier.”

“Will you let me shave?”

“Maybe after tonight.” He grins. “I like the beard burn, what can I say?”

“Alright.” He kisses Tyler’s cheek as he stands back up. “If I manage to stay myself during the show tonight, can we...” Josh is blushing again. He is a _grown man_ blushing because he wants to ask his friend if they can bang.

Tyler seems to read his mind. “We can make the sweetest of love, Jishwa.”

“Good. That’s a good incentive.”

 

* * *

 

And, not surprisingly, Josh doesn’t turn into anyone but himself, with the exception of his flickering eye colors. Seeing Tyler’s tanned, tattooed body in the darkness of the hotel room was enough to keep anyone inspired to accomplish their goals.

Maybe one day they’ll figure out how this whole shapeshifting thing started, but tonight, Josh is going to get it on with his hot best friend.

**Author's Note:**

> How do you think Josh got his super cool shapeshifting powers? I might work on some different scenarios if y'all are willing to share some ideas.
> 
> Follow me on tumblr, pastelxmess, and let's talk about stuff.


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